Outdoor base station housing assembly

ABSTRACT

A base station cabinet assembly ( 20 ) includes a first cabinet housing ( 22 ). A second cabinet housing ( 40 ) generally surrounds and covers over the first cabinet housing ( 22 ). In a disclosed example, the first cabinet housing ( 22 ) comprises a metal cabinet typically useful for interior base station installations. The second cabinet housing ( 40 ) in one example comprises plastic and protects the first cabinet portion ( 22 ) from environmental contamination such that the entire cabinet assembly may be used for exterior installations.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to communication. More particularly, this invention relates to components useful in wireless communication systems.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Wireless communication systems typically include base stations arranged to provide wireless communication services over a geographic region, for example. Base stations typically include at least one antenna and a base station transceiver comprising electronic components that facilitate wireless communication with one or more mobile stations. The components of the base station transceiver traditionally have been housed within a metal housing. In the case of interior installations, the metal housing has been a plurality of metal sheets riveted or bolted together, for example. For exterior or outside applications, the metal housings have had welded seams to provide protection against environmental contaminants so that the base station transceiver components will not be affected by weather conditions, for example.

There are several shortcomings with traditional approaches. One is that they are relatively expensive. Because there are minimum requirements for vandalism protection and structural integrity, there is substantial material cost in providing an outdoor metal cabinet. There are labor costs associated with welding and painting the cabinets. It would be useful to be able to provide an outdoor cabinet for base station components that is more economical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An exemplary base station cabinet assembly includes a first cabinet housing comprising a first material. The first cabinet housing supports a weight of operative base station components. A second cabinet housing comprises a second, different material and generally surrounds and covers over the first cabinet housing.

In one example, the first cabinet housing comprises metal while the second cabinet housing comprises plastic. The first cabinet housing in one example is an unsealed cabinet while the second cabinet housing prevents environmental contaminants from entering an interior of the second cabinet housing to protect the first cabinet housing and its contents from any such environmental contaminants.

The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of one example base station cabinet assembly designed according to an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a selected portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an illustration taken along the lines 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective, exploded illustration of a selected portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of another feature of that embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional illustration showing a selected feature of the example embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional illustration showing another selected feature of an example embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional illustration schematically showing a feature of another example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 schematically shows selected portions of an example base station cabinet assembly 20. The illustrated example includes a first cabinet housing 22 that houses and supports a plurality of operative components 24 and 26 that facilitate wireless communications, for example. In one example, the first cabinet housing comprises metal. One example includes a plurality of metal sheets that are secured together to form the first cabinet housing 22. In one example, the first cabinet housing 22 is unsealed such that it is possible for moisture or other environmental contaminants to get inside of the first cabinet housing 22 if it were left exposed. In one example, the first cabinet housing 22 comprises a known cabinet used for interior installations (i.e., within a building) of base station components.

The illustrated example includes a base 30 that establishes the bottom of the cabinet assembly 20. In this example, the base 30 establishes a bottom wall of the first cabinet housing 22.

A second cabinet housing 40 is received over the first cabinet housing 22 such that the second cabinet housing 40 generally surrounds and covers over the first cabinet housing 22. In this example, the base 30 establishes a bottom of the second cabinet housing 40. The remainder of the second cabinet housing 40 includes a plurality of sidewalls 42, 44, 46 and 48 and a top 52 (in FIG. 5). The sidewalls 42, 44, 46 and 48 and the top 52 cover over the first cabinet housing 22 such that the latter is not exposed to the environment outside of the second cabinet housing 40.

In one example, the first cabinet housing 22 comprises metal while the second cabinet housing 40 comprises plastic. In one example, the plastic material of the second cabinet housing 40 comprises a polycarbonate. One example material is commercially available from General Electric and is known as Lexan EXL. Bayer Corporation also sells similar plastic materials. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this description will be able to select an appropriate material to meet the needs of their particular situation. One particular example includes ⅛ inch thick sidewalls 42, 46 and 48 that are made from a single piece of plastic material. FIG. 2 schematically shows a single, continuous piece of plastic material that can be considered monolithic. In one example, the piece of material is extruded using known plastic extrusion techniques. As can be appreciated from FIG. 2, the piece of material is generally flat and includes relief portions 50 that are extruded in one example. The relief portions 50 comprise grooves that are machined away in another example.

FIG. 3 schematically shows one example arrangement of the relief portions 50, which comprise generally V-shaped grooves in the plastic material. In this example, the edges of the relief 50 are oriented at an angle α relative to each other. An example range for the angle α is between 90° and 150°. This example includes an angle of 120°.

The relief portions 50 facilitate manually folding the piece of material schematically shown in FIG. 2 into an orientation to establish a desired position of the sidewalls 42, 46 and 48. A fold is schematically shown in phantom in FIG. 3 where the sidewall 42 is manually manipulated into a position to be generally perpendicular to the sidewall 48. This type of arrangement provides various advantages. One advantage is that assembly of the second cabinet housing 40 is relatively simple because a manual manipulation of the sheet of plastic allows for establishing the position of the sidewalls. Having a single sheet of material instead of multiple sheets eliminates the need to secure the multiple sheets together at the interfaces between the sidewalls to establish a water tight or sealed cabinet. Shipping costs can also be reduced because the sidewalls 42, 48 and 46 may be shipped in the flat condition rather than having the cabinet in a completely assembled condition, which takes up significantly more space in a shipping container.

FIG. 4 schematically shows the sidewalls 42, 48 and 46 oriented relative to each other after manual manipulation of the monolithic sheet of plastic shown in FIG. 2. A top 52 is secured onto a top portion of the second cabinet housing 40 while the sidewall 44 is secured to the corresponding edges of the sidewalls 42 and 46 in this example. Securing the sidewall 44 in one example includes using an appropriate adhesive or cement for securing the sidewalls together to provide a watertight, sealed interface between the sidewalls. One example includes using an adhesive or cement for securing the top 52 in place to provide a watertight, sealed interface between the top 52 and the sidewalls of the second cabinet housing 40 around the entire periphery.

One example as shown in FIG. 5 includes a sidewall 44 that comprises a framed portion 54 and a door portion 56. In this example, the door portion 56 is hinged so that it can be opened to provide access to the interior of the second cabinet housing 40 for maintenance or repair procedures of the base station components 24, 26 located within the first cabinet portion 22, for example. The illustrated example includes a seal 58 supported on the frame portion 54 of the sidewall 44. When the door 56 is appropriately closed, the seal 58 provides a watertight, sealed interface between the door portion 56 and the frame portion 54.

In the illustrated example, the bottom of the second cabinet housing 40 is established by the base 30. One example includes not fixing the sidewalls 42, 44, 46 and 48 to the base 30. Instead, a groove or channel 60 as shown in FIG. 6 is provided on the base 30 for at least partially receiving a portion of each sidewall. One example includes resting the sidewalls within the groove 60 without adhesively or otherwise securing them to the base 30. This arrangement allows for some moveability of the sidewalls relative to the base. This provides an advantage in situations where the size of the second cabinet housing 40 is such that fixing the bottom edges of the sidewalls may introduce buckling in the sidewall material responsive to changing environmental conditions over time. By leaving the sidewalls unfixed relative to the base 30, such buckling can be avoided, which introduces material savings costs in some examples.

In FIG. 6, the groove 60 has a first depth facing an exterior of the cabinet assembly established by a lip 62 that is received against an exterior surface of the sidewall 42. Only one of the sidewalls is shown in FIG. 6 for illustration purposes. The groove 60 has a second, greater depth on an interior side established by a lip 64, which is larger than the lip 62. As can be appreciated from the illustration, if any moisture or other environmental contaminant enters the groove 60, before the volume becomes great enough to extend over the lip 64 into the inside of the cabinet assembly, the fluid will flow over the top of the lip 62 thereby remaining on the exterior of the cabinet assembly. Such an arrangement allows for not sealing the bottom edges of the sidewalls against the base 30 while still protecting the interior of the cabinet assembly from exposure to undesired moisture or other environmental contaminants.

The example of FIG. 6 also includes at least one drain opening 66 within the base 30 to allow any fluid within the groove 60 to drain out in a desired direction.

Another feature of one example embodiment is shown in FIG. 7. This example includes at least one layer 70 of material between an exterior on the first cabinet housing 22 and the interior of at least one of the sidewalls of the second cabinet housing 40. The sidewall 42 is shown in FIG. 7 for illustration purposes. In this example, the layer 70 comprises a plastic foam material that is impregnated with carbon schematically shown at 71. A variety of such materials are known and the presence of the carbon provides anti-static properties for protecting the first cabinet housing 22 and any components within it from static that may have accumulated on the second cabinet housing 40.

One feature of the example foam layer 70 is that it establishes a plurality of passages 72 that allow for air flow within the spacing between the first cabinet housing 22 and the second cabinet housing 40. Such air flow can be strategically used for cooling one or more components within the first cabinet housing 22, for example. The example arrangement facilitates more efficient temperature control within the first cabinet housing 22. Providing the air flow passage 72 allows for establishing a heat exchange type arrangement around the exterior of the first cabinet housing 22. One example includes maximizing the air flow passages 72 that contact the first cabinet housing 22 to maximize the possible cooling effect.

Additionally, the second cabinet housing 40 acts as a sunshield to protect the first cabinet housing 22 from heating up as a result of direct exposure to the sun's radiation, for example.

Another feature of the foam layer 70 is that it adds structural rigidity to the cabinet assembly 20. In one example, the sidewalls of the second cabinet housing 40 comprise a ⅛ inch thick sheet of plastic. These may be displaced by an individual pressing on an outside of one of the sidewalls, for example, until the sidewall contacts the first cabinet housing 22, which is spaced from the second cabinet housing 40 around the entire periphery in one example. Without the foam layer 70 in place, a substantial and visually noticeable movement of the sidewalls of the second cabinet housing 40 may occur. The example foam layer 70 is generally rigid and provides support to avoid the sidewall 42 from moving toward the first cabinet housing 22 more than a minor amount. This example arrangement provides potential cost savings by not requiring heavier gage materials for the sidewalls in addition to providing the additional cooling aspects described above.

Another feature of an example embodiment is shown in FIG. 8. In this example, an operative component 90 such as an RF filter has a connector 92 extending directly from the component 90. In this example, the connector 92 is received through an opening 94 in the first cabinet housing 22 and an opening 96 in the second cabinet housing 40. The illustration of FIG. 8 includes the opening 96 in the sidewall 48. A seal 98 is received against the sidewall 48 to cover over the opening 96 so that it is not exposed to any environmental contaminant that may enter the interior of the cabinet assembly 20. A nut or other securing member 100 is received over the connector 92 to maintain the seal 98 in the position shown in the illustration. One advantage to this example arrangement is that it does not require any intermediate RF cables between component connectors and connectors outside of the cabinet assembly 20. In this example, a connection can be made directly to the connector 92 from outside of the cabinet assembly. Such an arrangement provides material and labor savings.

The disclosed examples provide several advantages over known base station cabinet arrangements. Using a second cabinet housing of a plastic material allows for using a first cabinet housing that is otherwise suitable for interior applications but now in an outside installation.

The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this invention. The scope of legal protection given to this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims. 

1. A base station cabinet assembly, comprising: a first cabinet housing comprising a first material, the first cabinet housing supporting a weight of operative base station components; and a second cabinet housing comprising a second, different material, the second cabinet housing generally surrounding and covering over the first cabinet housing.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first cabinet housing is unsealed; and the second cabinet housing prevents environmental contaminants from entering an interior of the second cabinet housing such that the environmental contaminants are prevented from contacting the first cabinet housing or any components within the first cabinet housing.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first cabinet housing comprises metal; and the second cabinet housing comprises plastic.
 4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second cabinet housing comprises a plurality of sidewalls and a base, one edge of the sidewalls being at least partially received in a groove in the base, the groove having a nominal depth adjacent an outer surface on at least one of the sidewalls and a second, greater depth adjacent an inner surface on the at least one of the sidewalls.
 5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the base has at least one drain hole that allows fluid from within the groove to exit the groove toward an exterior of the assembly.
 6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the edges of the sidewalls are maintained at least partially in the groove such that the sidewalls are at least partially moveable relative to the base.
 7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second cabinet portion comprises at least three sidewalls that are each at least partially generally planar, each of the three sidewalls being a portion of a monolithic, single piece of plastic.
 8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the single piece of plastic has a groove extending along at least a portion of a length of the piece of plastic at locations corresponding to edges of adjacent one of the sidewalls.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein each groove comprises a generally V-shaped cross section having sides oriented relative to each other at an angle within a range from about 90 degrees to about 150 degrees when two of the sidewalls adjacent a corresponding groove are at least partially coplanar.
 10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the angle is approximately 120 degrees when two of the sidewalls adjacent a corresponding groove are at least partially coplanar.
 11. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the second cabinet portion includes a fourth sidewall comprising a frame that is secured to at least two of the three sidewalls and a door portion secured to the frame.
 12. The assembly of claim 11, comprising a seal between the door portion and a corresponding portion of the frame for sealing the second cabinet portion closed when the door portion is in a closed position.
 13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein an interior on the second cabinet portion is spaced away from an exterior on the first cabinet portion.
 14. The assembly of claim 13, comprising at least one layer between the first cabinet portion and the second cabinet portion, the at least one layer comprising a third material that is different than the first and second materials.
 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the third material comprises a plastic and includes carbon.
 16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the at least one layer establishes a plurality of flow channels between the first cabinet portion and the second cabinet portion for facilitating fluid flow along a spacing between the cabinet portions.
 17. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the at least one layer is secured to the first cabinet portion and selectively abuts against the second cabinet portion.
 18. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first cabinet portion has an opening through at least one sidewall and the second cabinet portion has an opening through at least one sidewall and aligned with the opening through the at least one sidewall of the second cabinet portion, and comprising an operative component for facilitating wireless communications supported within the first cabinet portion such that a connector on the operative component is received at least partially through the openings of the first and second cabinet portions when the operative component is received adjacent the at least one sidewall of the first cabinet portion.
 19. The assembly of claim 18, comprising a seal received generally about the connector and against an exterior surface of the second cabinet portion for sealing off an interface between the connector and the opening in the at least one sidewall of the second cabinet portion. 